Highlights of
My Raw Journey

Some people may not want to read my pages and pages and pages of journal entries. Therefore I've created this page of Highlights of My Raw Journey - changes I've made to get where I am today, changes that I'm continuing to make in order to live Raw, changes I've noticed as a result of being raw, first time experiences, etc. In general, the list goes in chronological order, as I learned to change or try new things (I've been known to be a picky eater) AND as I noticed the changes in myself - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - as a result of trying to live a Raw lifestyle. (If you want to read more about any specific change, go to my journal entry for that day and I'll probably talk about it in more detail.)
 
  • Stopped drinking alcohol (9/17/01)
  • Stopped smoking cigarettes (10/17/01)
  • Became a Vegetarian - ate everything except animal meat (1/1/03)
  • Started to cut back on cheese; switched to fake eggs and soy milk (late 2003)
  • Became a Raw Vegan Vegetarian - 80% raw, 20% cooked (1/1/04)
  • Cut out all caffeinated, carbonated drinks (1/2/04)
  • Started eating raw nuts and seeds - used to only eat roasted nuts (1/2/04)
  • Tried Bragg's Amino Acids liquid and Tamari Soy Sauce for the first time (1/2/04)
  • Started walking for exercise, stretching for relaxation and flexibility (1/2/04)
  • Stopped taking Vioxx pain medication - was 25 mg/day, now stopped completely - pain due to being overweight and putting unnecessary pressure on it (1/7/04) 
  • Acid reflux completely gone - stopped taking my Prevacid medication - acid reflux disease had been due to eating a 100% cooked, processed diet (1/7/04)
  • Tried a Pummelo fruit for the first time (1/9/04)
  • Starting to see a difference in my face - nose more distinct, jaw more defined, less of a double chin (1/13/04)
  • Lost 15 pounds total (1/16/04)
  • Had to go back on the Vioxx, haven't lost enough weight yet to be able to be off of it yet (1/17/04)
  • Had dinner at a restaurant for the first time as a Raw - went well, had a huge, great salad! (1/18/04)
  • Tried rutabaga and butternut squash for the first time (1/20/04)
  • Seeing a big difference in the appearance of my head (1/26/04)
  • Noticing I'm eating more of a Fruitarian raw diet than a "standard" Raw diet (1/28/04)
  • Lost 19 pounds total (1/30/04)
  • One month Raw anniversary (1/31/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck and tried gourmet Raw recipes and ingredients for the first time - new to me: flax seed, carob powder (1/31/04)
  • Noticing my skin is getting clearer, less blotchy, less break-outs (2/1/04)
  • Tried sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, artichoke, heart of palm for the first time (2/3/04)
  • Had an apple and it felt like dessert - that's a first! (2/4/04)
  • Stopped making salads out of iceberg lettuce (2/5/04)
  • Bought a Yerba Prima dry skin brush at Ozark Natural Foods for $7.99 and used it for the first time (2/7/04)
  • Made my first Raw dessert - Carob Almond Balls (2/7/04)
  • Created my 1st Raw recipe - Rawlsa (2/10/04)
  • My first major cheat - binged on processed, fried food - got completely physically ill from the binge (2/12/04)
  • Lost 26 pounds total (2/16/04)
  • Ordered our first Raw appliance - Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator (2/26/04)
  • Tried a fruit leather for the first time (2/27/04)
  • Two month Raw anniversary (3/1/04)
  • Bought our 2nd Raw appliance - Joyce Chen's Spiral Slicer (3/1/04)
  • Lost 29 pounds total (3/1/04)
  • Decreased my Celexa anti-anxiety medication - was 60 mg/day, now 40 mg/day (3/1/04)
  • Tried a Medjool date for the first time (3/2/04)
  • Created my 2nd Raw recipe - Parmesan Cheese (3/2/04)
  • Created my 3rd Raw recipe - Banana Nut Ice Cream (3/3/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (3/6/04)
  • Created my 4th Raw recipe - Chocolate Banana Crunch Ice Cream (3/8/04)
  • Created my 5th Raw recipe - Onion Rings (3/10/04)
  • Tried sun dried olives, hemp nut butter, sesame Tahini, and young Thai coconut for the first time (3/11/04)
  • Created my 6th Raw recipe - Coconut Macaroons (3/12/04)
  • Had my first junk food temptation and chose NOT to cheat! (3/13/04)
  • Went to my first Raw seminar, at the Ozark Natural Foods Annual Owner's meeting - saw Viktoras Kulvinskas speak (3/14/04)
  • A stranger at the Raw seminar told me that they hadn't seen my "before" pictures, but they can tell that the whites of my eyes are very white, with little to no blood-shot lines - I had heard this was a positive effect of the Raw lifestyle (3/14/04)
  • Tried sea vegetables for the first time - Viktoras shared them with us at dinner (3/14/04)
  • Lost 38 pounds total (3/15/04)
  • Decreased my Vioxx anti-inflammatory medication - was 25 mg/day, now 25 mg/every-other-day for knee pain (3/16/04)
  • Decreased my Celexa anti-anxiety medication - was 40 mg/day, now 20 mg/day (3/16/04)
  • Started soaking/dehydrating my nuts (3/19/04)
  • Created my 7th Raw recipe - Potato Chips (3/20/04)
  • Tried a honey date for the first time (3/20/04)
  • Created my 8th Raw recipe - Rawcamole (3/24/04
  • Created my 9th Raw recipe - Rawchos (3/24/04)
  • Tried a Pink Lady apple for the first time (3/25/04)
  • Bought a GE 450 watt blender (3/25/04)
  • Bought a Samson 6-in-1 juicer (3/26/04)
  • A friend noticed that my hair is much more red than it used to be (3/26/04)
  • Created my 10th Raw recipe - Marinated Mushrooms (3/26/04)
  • Used the juicer for the first time - made apple juice (3/27/04)
  • The only ring I wear on my finger is starting to slide around, used to cut into my finger (3/27/04)
  • Used a juicer (Samson 6-in-1) for the first time - made fresh apple juice and apple sauce (3/28/04)
  • Created my 11th Raw recipe - Mexi-Chips (3/28/04)
  • A colleague asked if I got new glasses - when I said no, the shape of my face is changing, so the glasses look different now (it's true!), they looked surprised at the fact that they really thought I got new glasses (3/30/04)
  • Lost 41 pounds total (3/31/04)
  • Completely stopped taking my Vioxx anti-infammatory medication - knee pain gone (4/1/04)
  • Went to a free lecture by Viktoras Kulvinskas, the Father of the Raw Food Movement (4/2/04)
  • Went to an all-day workshop by Viktoras Kulvinskas (4/3/04)
  • Created my 12th Raw recipe - Lemon-Lime Slush (4/4/04)
  • Tried Miso (soup) for the first time (4/6/04)
  • Took digestive enzymes for the first time (4/6/04)
  • Created my 13th Raw recipe - gRAWnola (4/8/04)
  • Started eating apples with the peel on (4/10/04)
  • Allergy to lemons went away (4/10/04)
  • Tried a pine nut for the first time (4/11/04)
  • Created my 14th Raw recipe - Spicy Spread (4/13/04)
  • Lost 47 pounds total (4/16/04)
  • Made a "green drink" in the Samson 6-in-1 for the first time - for Boni not me, but I tried a taste on my finger - first time (4/18/04)
  • Created my 15th Raw recipe - Banana Nut Pudding Pie (4/18/04)
  • Created my 16th Raw recipe - Veggie Pizza Pie (4/18/04)
  • Created my 17th Raw recipe - Strawberry Chocolate Pecan Pie (4/18/04)
  • Created my 18th Raw recipe - Mambo Rawtaliano (4/19/04)
  • Created my 19th Raw recipe - Nutty Chocolate Mousse Pie (4/21/04)
  • Tried a fresh Mango for the first time (4/21/04)
  • Tried raw Eggplant for the first time (4/25/04)
  • Created my 20th Raw recipe - Cinnamon Apple Walnut Cookies (4/27/04)
  • Created my 21st Raw recipe - Mexican Vanilla Frozen Yogurt (4/27/04)
  • Created my 22nd Raw recipe - Cinnamon Apple Chips (4/27/04)
  • Decreased my Celexa anti-anxiety medication - was 20 mg/day, now 10 mg/day (4/28/04)
  • Gained a pound (since 4/16), lost 5 pounds (since 3/31) - total weight loss is 46 pounds (4/30/04)
  • Created my 23rd Raw recipe - Chocolate Mousse Pie (5/1/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (5/1/04)
  • Tried a shot of fresh squeezed Wheatgrass Juice for the first time (5/1/04)
  • Dried a fresh herb (Basil) in the dehydrator for the first time (5/2/04)
  • Created my 24th Raw recipe - Michelle's Mango Miracle (5/2/04)
  • Went to a Mexican restaurant for the first time as a Raw, and ate Raw!!! - Major accomplishment for me (5/4/04)
  • Finished the last of the maple syrup, going to try to not buy it anymore and just use honey (5/5/04)
  • First time meat was cooked in my house since I've been Raw - of course I didn't eat it, guest cooked it (5/7/04)
  • Created a page of Rawisms, words or phrases thrown around in the Raw community (5/7/04)
  • Tried a white radish for the first time, not as bitter as the red ones (5/9/04)
  • Tried a raw dressing that I actually like as well as a commercial one (5/9/04)
  • Used pinenuts for the first time in a recipe - yum!!! (5/9/04)
  • Tried a commercial juice drink for the first time - it was just ok (5/11/04)
  • Tried a Jonathan Gold apple for the first time - it was ok, prefer Fujis still (5/11/04)
  • Tried an apricot for the first time - it was ok, nothing special (5/11/04)
  • Completely stopped taking my Celexa, anti-anxiety medication; No longer on any Western medicines (5/11/04)
  • Hair is falling out, started taking B12 vitamin (5/12/04)
  • Had my first colonic hydrotherapy - click here to read the full story (5/14/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (5/15/04)
  • Created my 25th Raw recipe - Lemonade (5/18/04)
  • Tried Stevia (natural sweetener) for the first time (5/18/04)
  • Created my 26th Raw recipe - Dreamsicle Shake (5/20/04)
  • Tried Manna bread for the first time - YUM!!!! (5/23/04)
  • Tried a Persimmon for the first time - interesting - kind of like a hard cantaloupe (5/25/04)
  • Created my 27th Raw recipe - Persimmon Potion (5/25/04)
  • Created my 28th Raw recipe - Vanilla Milkshake (5/28/04)
  • Tried freshly squeezed pineapple juice for the first time - YUM! (5/28/04)
  • Created a new page of Articles and Interviews about Raw foodism and natural health (5/28/04)
  • Lost 55 pounds total (5/28/04)
  • Tried a Red Tamarillo for the first time (5/31/04)
  • Tried a Moroccan Olive for the first time (6/5/04)
  • Tried Cacao Beans for the first time (6/5/04)
  • Tried Agave Nectar for the first time (6/5/04)
  • Created my 29th Raw recipe - CANDY Milkshake (6/5/04)
  • Created my 30th Raw recipe - Fruit Juice (6/6/04)
  • Tried Mesquite and Maca for the first time (6/7/04)
  • Made a Raw bread for the first time (6/9/04)
  • Created my 31st Raw recipe - Brownie Bites (6/9/04)
  • Tried true Celtic Sea Salt for the first time (6/10/04)
  • Got back on my Celexa 20 mg/day - going through a hard time and am depressed (6/12/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (6/19/04)
  • Hair still falling out and thinning - going to try adding an egg to my diet to see if that helps (6/28/04)
  • Ate an egg for the first time in 6 months (6/28/04)
  • Started taking a women's multi-vitamin (7/1/04)
  • Lost 65 pounds total (7/1/04)
  • Hair not falling out as much (7/3/04)
  • Used a Champion juicer for the first time (7/7/04)
  • Actually like guacamole now! Major accomplishment as when I was SAD, I hated it! (7/10/04)
  • Had a major crap-cooked food binge (7/14/04)
  • Did my first short juice fast to rededicate to raw (7/15/04)
  • Tried a pluot for the first time - yum (7/16/04)
  • Hosted a Raw Ozarks Potluck at my house (7/17/04)
  • Tried a donut peach for the first time - super yum! (7/18/04)
  • Tried a mango nectarine for the first time - not great, not bad (7/19/04)
  • Tried a durian for the first time - interesting (7/23/04)
  • Started eating raw mushrooms on salads - wow, that's amazing progress (7/23/04)
  • Upped my Celexa to 40 mg/day - still having a rough time (7/31/04)
  • Started selling my Mexi-Chips (8/1/04)
  • Upped my Celexa to 60 mg/day - yikes, still having a tough time (8/11/04)
  • Lost 75 pounds total (8/24/04)
  • Went to a free lecture by Tonya Zavasta at the Ozark Natural Foods coop (8/26/04)
  • Tried a Goji Berry for the first time - yuck! (8/26/04)
  • Bought and tried JASON's natural toothpaste for the first time - will take some getting used to (8/26/04)
  • Went to an all-day workshop by Tonya Zavasta (8/28/04)
  • Lost 77 pounds total (9/1/04)
  • Hair not falling out any more - seems to be the egg I've added to my diet that helped (9/1/04)
  • Lost 80 pounds total (9/13/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (9/18/04)
  • Tried carrot juice (with apple juice) for the first time (9/29/04)
  • Gained 3 pounds (10/1/04)
  • 9 months on my raw journey (10/1/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (10/16/04)
  • Tried Kombucha tea for the first time (10/16/04)
  • Having a very tough time on my Raw journey - eating crap cooked (10/17/04)
  • Back on the Raw Wagon (10/25/04)
  • Fell off the Raw Wagon again - not calling myself a raw foodist right now (10/28/04)
  • Tried seeded globe grapes for the first time (11/3/04)
  • Weight maintained at a total weight loss of 77 pounds - so far (11/3/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (11/13/04)
  • Started taking 1 capsule 500 mcg of Maca daily (11/16/04)
  • Had another colonic (11/22/04)
  • Am wearing size 16-20 pants now - sometimes a 16 and sometimes a 20 (11/24/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (11/25/04)
  • Tried an Oro Blanco fruit for the first time (12/2/04)
  • Backed off of Celexa from 60mg/day to 40mg/day (12/6/04)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (12/11/04)
  • Gained 5 pounds (12/20/04)
  • Started back on my raw journey (12/21/04)
  • Not eating so raw (12/24/04-12/31/04)
  • Ended 2004 at 239 pounds for a total weight loss of 71 pounds (12/31/04)
  • Recommitted to a raw journey, for real (1/1/05)
  • Had another colonic (1/5/05)
  • Went to a Raw Ozarks Potluck (1/8/05)
  • Discovered that I've gone from a size 9 ring to a size 6.5 - 2 1/2 sizes smaller (2/12/05)
  • My blood pressure is now 108/70 - was 124/80 in December 2003, before I went raw (2/22/05)
  • Backed off of Celexa from 40 mg/day to 20 mg/day (2/22/05)
  • Stopped using Shampoo, started using Castille liquid soap instead (3/4/05)
  • Gained 2 pounds for a total weight loss of 69 pounds (3/9/05)
  • Started using Shampoo again - hair not shiny anymore (3/25/05)
  • Acknowledged that I have an eating disorder (bulimia) and began journey to healing (4/14/05)
  • Stopped taking Celexa completely (5/05)
  • Became quite depressed (6/05)
  • Started taking Celexa 20mg again (7/05)
  • Got real - Weight - 256 pounds - starting over (7/25/05)
  • Upped my Celexa to 40mg - Boni and I broke up, depression and cooked food set in (11/29/05)
  • Starting over AGAIN - Weight: 266.5 pounds (1/1/06)
  • Lost 9.5 pounds (53 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight: 257 pounds (1/8/06)
  • Lost 14 pounds (57.5 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight: 252.5 pounds (1/22/06)
  • Tried a longan for the first time (1/27/06)
  • Lost 15.5 pounds (59 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight: 251 pounds (1/29/06)
  • Lost 16.5 pounds (60 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight: 250 pounds (2/5/06)
  • Backed off of Celexa from 40 mg/day to 20 mg/day (3/1/06)
  • Went to a Paul Nison seminar (3/1/06)
  • Lost 17.5 pounds (61 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight: 249 pounds (3/6/06)
  • Lost 22 pounds (65.5 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight 244.5 pounds (3/9/06)
  • Lost 26.5 pounds (70 total pounds lost since 2004) - Weight 240 pounds (3/19/06)
  • Stopped taking Celexa completely (4/5/06)
  • Wearing size 16/18 tops, 18/20 bottoms, 8 underwear, 40DD bra (4/5/06)
  • Wearing size 14/16 tops, 18/20 bottoms, 8 underwear, 40DD bra (4/23/06)
  • Began the Master Cleanse - weight 243 (4/24/06)
  • Stopped the Master Cleanse - weight 232 (4/29/06)
  • Started back on Celexa 20 mg (5/16/06)
  • Weight 232 - total weight loss 78 pounds (6/15/06)
  • Weight 230 - total weight loss 80 pounds (6/21/06)
  • Weight 225 - total weight loss 85 pounds (6/28/06)
  • Weight 222 - total weight loss 88 pounds (7/2/06)
  • Weight 220 - total weight loss 90 pounds (7/6/06)
  • Weight 216.5 - total weight loss 93.5 pounds (7/9/06)
  • Weight 213 - total weight loss 97 pounds (7/16/06)
  • Started smoking cigarettes again, after having quit for almost 5 years - gasp!! (7/28/06)
  • Weight 210 - total weight loss 100 pounds (8/7/06)
  • Wearing size 14/16 tops (L), 14/16 bottoms, 8 underwear, 38DD bra (8/7/06)
  • Weight 218 - gained 8 pounds - total weight loss 92 pounds (8/21/06)
  • Weight 208 - total weight loss 102 pounds (9/25/06)
  • Ran 2.5 miles without stopping! Treadmill, 5.3 mph, took about 28 minutes (10/4/06)
  • Begin journey back to vegan eating, after 6 months of eating crap (4/9/07)
  • Weight 227 - gained 19 pounds - total weight loss 83 pounds (4/11/07)
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